Which case is associated with the 'strict scrutiny' standard in evaluating race-based admissions decisions in higher education?

Which case is associated with the 'strict scrutiny' standard in evaluating race-based admissions decisions in higher education?

• A. Frontiero v. Richardson
• B. Grutter v. Bollinger
• C. Brown v. Board of Education
• D. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

Answer: (B)

Strict scrutiny is the highest level of review used for racial classifications, requiring a compelling government interest and that the means are narrowly tailored. In higher education, the Supreme Court treated diversity as a compelling interest and held that a university’s holistic admissions process that considers race as one factor can satisfy strict scrutiny if it is narrowly tailored. Grutter v. Bollinger is the landmark case here: the Court upheld the law school’s admissions policy because it sought to achieve a diverse student body, used race as a plus factor within a broader, individualized review, and avoided rigid quotas. This decision clarifies that race-based admissions decisions can pass strict scrutiny when they are facially neutral in structure, carefully designed to promote educational diversity, and continually monitored for narrow tailoring.

Strict scrutiny is the highest level of review used for racial classifications, requiring a compelling government interest and that the means are narrowly tailored. In higher education, the Supreme Court treated diversity as a compelling interest and held that a university’s holistic admissions process that considers race as one factor can satisfy strict scrutiny if it is narrowly tailored. Grutter v. Bollinger is the landmark case here: the Court upheld the law school’s admissions policy because it sought to achieve a diverse student body, used race as a plus factor within a broader, individualized review, and avoided rigid quotas. This decision clarifies that race-based admissions decisions can pass strict scrutiny when they are facially neutral in structure, carefully designed to promote educational diversity, and continually monitored for narrow tailoring.